Topping the country at any of the national examinations is a matter of grandeur and not something that Guyanese students take lightly, especially given the amount of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice that is behind such an achievement. Many aspire to it but only few can attain it.

That’s why not even the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) little mix up of Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations  (CAPE) results announced earlier this week could cast a shadow over the pride and joy felt by 18-year-old Shanomae Milling, her friends, family, teachers and other supporters, on her achievement as the country’s top performer at the 2019 CAPE.

With nine grade ones and two grade twos, the success of the aspiring doctor was announced on Thursday after she was not named as the top student when the results were originally announced on Wednesday.

In a moment reminiscent of Steve Harvey’s 2015 Miss Universe announcement, the MoE had a royal mix up in the CAPE top performers list and on Wednesday named the wrong students as the top performers. Feeling robbed of a moment that she worked hard for left Shanomae in tears, however by Thursday the glitch was quickly fixed and she got the honour she worked so hard to achieve.

Overwhelmed
A naturally bubbly person, the St Rose’s High student was a good sport about the mix-up and was nothing but smiles on Thursday morning after an apology was issued by the Ministry and her phone was ringing off the hook with congratulatory messages and calls.
“I think that they handled it in a good way. They apologised and clarified the issue so I’m thankful for that,” Milling commented on the situation.

She was too busy enjoying her glory to think much of the mix-up, topping the country just left her speechless.

“I feel excited. It’s just… I just feel so excited, I am lost for words. I didn’t expect to do this great and it’s just amazing, the feeling is just amazing. I had to wipe my eyes and look at those results again and again. I am thankful for it. I am thankful for all of my teachers, friends and family who helped and supported me, I am just so, so grateful,” she gushed.
Her smiles are non-stop matched by the smiles on the face of her aunt, Lizzani Brown, who is bustling around videoing, chatting and blissfully announcing the news to family members and friends far away. Brown has raised Shanomae since she was a child. Shanomae also shares the moment with her mother, Drusilla Wilson and her sister Shaneka.

“I must say I am overwhelmed. My daughter, she made me proud, she made me a very proud mom,” comments her mom.

She adds: “I know she had the potential because of the passes before, at CAPE last year, she topped her school, and at CSEC she topped her school; so I know she always had the potential. Since at five, I started with her. After she went to live with my sister, she continued.”

Hard work

Brown recalls a lot of hard work and long nights going into Shanomae’s accomplishment.
“She always has had this ability- she studies, studies, studies,” Brown relates. “I always like my breakfast table laid nice, but when I come home I would see she put aside my stuff and is share books on the table. Sometimes I have to move everything and put it on the floor and fix back my breakfast table. Sometimes at night when I wake up the lights still on when I look she fall in a doze with the book on her chest. I have to go and turn off the lights. She even had to go to [early]  lessons so I would make sure I get up, prepare her lunch and so.”

Notwithstanding the huge amount of work that had to go into it, Shanomae found a way to put some balance in her life.

“I have this strict policy with school work up to 20:00hrs. During the day I would do school work and help my friends with school work, whatever questions they have but as soon as [that tme] comes they can’t ask me anything pertaining to school after that time because that time is just to relax and to my social life I devote that time, then later in the night I would get up and put in some more work,” She shares.

An Upper Six Form student at St Rose’s, Milling attained Grade Ones in Physics Unit 1 and 2; Applied Mathematics Unit 1; Pure Mathematics Unit 2; Chemistry, Biology and Physical Education and Sports, all in Unit 2; Environmental Science Unit 1; Caribbean Studies Unit 1; she got a Grade Two in Communication Studies and Applied Mathematics Unit 2.

Inspiration
Aiming to top the country was not essentially part of Shanomae’s plans when she decided that she wanted to write 11 Units at the 2019 CAPE, she just wanted to do all the units she loved. She was inspired by the achievements of 2018 top CAPE top achiever Aadilah Ali, who pulled off the magnificent feat of gaining passes in 15 units, with 14 Grade Ones and one Grade Two.

“I was at the presentation ceremony, and I just sat there in the National Cultural Centre looking at her collecting her prizes and I was like I love all of these subjects, especially Maths. I didn’t want to pick it up just to do too much, I just wanted to do good at my subjects,” she says.

One year later and Milling now hopes that her achievement can stand as a beacon to inspire others to also go after what they desire.

“You know you have goals, just set them and go and get them, put in the work and you will get what you deserve,” Shanomae encourages to others.

This achievement, Shanomae says, will even go a long way in helping her to see herself in a different light. Notwithstanding always being a high achiever throughout her academic life, seeing herself being the best in the country was not something she had thought was possible for her.

“My biggest challenge was [I kept] doubting myself,” she shares, but that’s not the case anymore.

“I keep writing exams, doing tests and thinking I failed or I did bad just because I got one question wrong or I missed out one mark, so that was the biggest problem or issue with studying. This now, this entire situation with me topping the country has built my self-confidence, boosting my self-esteem. I won’t doubt myself anytime again, I’ll just be calm and know whatever I do it’s in God’s hands.”

In 2017 she was the best graduating student at St Rose’s High when she attained 11 Grade Ones and two Grade Twos at CSEC. Last year she was again the best performing student at the school, this time in CAPE, when she wrote seven units, achieving three grade ones and two grade twos.

She now plans to take a year off studying to travel and volunteer at her alma mater before she begins pursuing studies in medicine at the University of Guyana from next year.